I Love You, Maybe
by MyNameIsCAL
Summary: Imagine if Max fell for Iggy instead of Fang. Fang is jealous, but keeps his feelings to himself mostly.  When Max lets Fang move in to her apartment she shares with Iggy, emotions become mixed.  Max's POV, Fang's POV.  Miggy and Fax.
1. Chapter 1

**I Love you, Maybe – Chapter 1**

By MyNameIsCAL

**Well, I can't say I know where any of this is going. Whether Iggy or Fang wins in the end is still a mystery to me. I'm not sure where this came from either. Considering all I've done for the past few days was write and then I saw Eclipse, which wasn't too bad. (Well, when I wrote this, that was what was going on. It's now a couple weeks since I've written this first chapter here).**

**I guess I just wanted to try something new. So here's some Miggy. Their ages are a little tweaked, so they don't exactly match up to how they should be, but it's enough to get by. I'm sure you won't even notice. **

-Max's POV-

Things had been smooth sailing ever since we saved the world. Iggy and I, well, I guess you could say we've been romantically _involved_ for a couple of years now. Nudge had Gazzy. Or well, Gazzy was in love with Nudge, and I knew she was sweet on him, but I wasn't sure if the whole feeling was mutual. Angel, who was only in high school, had her mind set on getting the guy who she had just met whose thoughts she couldn't read.

Angel and Nudge had been the only ones who bothered with an education. Not that we really needed it because the government gave us almost an endless supply of money, which I was in charge of. I can't say money fixed things, but it was better than nothing and they didn't force us to live with our real parents. Mom offered to take us in, and we let Nudge and Angel stay with her, the rest of us going off to travel the world for a little while.

Nudge was in high school now, just a sophomore. Gazzy should have been a freshman, but he spent most of his time, waiting around for Nudge. The rest of us just sort of shrugged at education, but now Iggy and I had settled in our own apartment. We were finally legal adults and if we had followed Nudge and Angel, we'd be finishing out high school as seniors, maybe off to college.

Oh, I forgot about Fang, and well, he's been his normal moody self. Sometimes I felt like he was my younger brother that I constantly had to keep track of, like now, and other times, I felt like he was the one looking after me. Although recently, it felt like the former. I hadn't seen him lately, which worried me. He never answered his phone at his apartment and his cell phone was always off. Supposedly he had a girlfriend, named Lissa, but I don't know how he got along with her as he never really talked.

"I'm sure he's fine," Iggy sighed, wrapping his arms around me. "You know him, disappear for a few days, and then pop up randomly for dinner. Besides, he's probably spending time with his girlfriend, oh I don't remember her name now. Which, by the way, is everyone coming over tonight?"

"Yes, I think so," I said.

He leaned down to kiss me, almost a foot and a half taller than me. "Great, so I say, trip to the grocery store, then we'll duck behind the cereal aisle and I'll steal a few kisses, and then we'll come home and I'll cook, well, hopefully because you know, I know you'll just find a way to distract me."

I laughed, sliding my hand down his cheek. He took my hand and we head off to the grocery store.

* * *

"Hey, you two, get a room."

I looked up to see Fang standing at the door, dropping his bag on the floor. Iggy continued to kiss my neck, sniggering, "Well, maybe we will."

Fang rolled his eyes and I pushed Iggy off of me. "You thirsty? I have sodas in the fridge."

Fang grunted, like he did always, and took a seat on the armchair.

"Well, hello to you too," Iggy cackled, standing. He whiffed the air, made a face, and started towards the kitchen. "Fang, you need to shower. Why did we even give him a key to our apartment?"

I expected to see Fang looking annoyed, but he nodded. "Can I use the shower?"

"Of course, use the guest bathroom." I eyed him suspiciously though. "Why haven't been answering either of your phones?"

"Oh, I dropped my cell phone when I was flying," he muttered.

"But I left you messages at home."

He stared at the floor.

"Fang, I thought you got a place to stay."

"No," he mumbled.

"Well you can't be living on the streets," I shook my head, exasperated. "And I know you don't have any money because you haven't come asking for it."

Every week, he usually paid me a visit for money, never asking for more like Nudge did because she wanted to go shopping. In some sense, I still had authority over them, especially because I had the power to deny them money, but I never did because you know, well, I wasn't a dictator after all.

"Why don't you stay for a couple of days," I offered as he still refused to look up at me.

"I don't want to be a burden," he said in a low voice.

I moved over and gave him a light punch to the arm. "Fang, you're such an idiot. I'm not going to let my best friend live out on the street. Besides, I know you love Iggy's cooking."

He looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine, lingering for just a moment, and then he agreed. "Alright."

And I watched him go, hearing the shower start.

"I don't think he wants to stay in one place," Iggy commented as I entered the kitchen. "You'd think that not having to go around fighting people all the time would soften him, but it hasn't."

Iggy was right, but Fang wasn't the kind to change easily. Even now he barely spoke. In fact, he probably spoke the most to me, and I once asked Iggy if it bothered him, but Iggy just shook his head and laughed saying that one day Fang was just talking to me so he could extort me for more money.

As Iggy started to cook, the others started to arrive. Angel came first, moving to the kitchen immediately and reading our minds.

"Fang's being a pain in the ass again?" she questioned.

Iggy snorted. "Isn't he _always_ a pain in the ass?"

"Why don't you go intrude on his thoughts?" I suggested.

Angel shook her head. "He's just tired. Preoccupied about something."

"Probably his girlfriend," Iggy remarked, suppressing a laugh.

It took a while for Angel to respond. "Yeah, it's probably Lissa. He probably hasn't seen her in a while, especially if he hasn't found a place to stay."

Our conversation ended as Fang walked into the kitchen. He went to the fridge and took a soda, cracking it open, and then sat at the table quietly. Suddenly, someone's phone started ringing.

"It's not mine," Angel said, staring at Fang.

Fang reached into his pocket.

"Oh, Fang, you're such a liar," I muttered.

He glanced at me and then flipped his phone open, answering it with a barely audible, "Hello?"

There was a long silence as he listened.

"No," he said. Then more silence, and then, "Okay, tomorrow." More silence. "Yes." And then finally. "Bye." A hesitation. "Yes, Lissa." Now a pause. "Bye." And almost as an distasteful afterthought, "Yes, I love you too, Lissa, bye."

And for everyone in the room, except for me, that might have been the most they had ever heard Fang talk. He glared at us as he put his phone away.

"Something wrong?" I asked after Iggy went back to his cooking.

"No," Fang grumbled, but I knew he was lying.

Before I could push him for more of an answer, the door burst open, Gazzy at Nudge's heel, as she blabbered to him about God knows what. By then, Fang had slipped out of the kitchen and to the couch.

* * *

**Fang's POV next chapter. Hope you liked that. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 2**

By MyNameIsCAL

**This is rated M for a reason. Just a warning, but sex has somehow made its way into this story. But let me tell you that it will NOT become any kind of central focus. In fact besides this next chapter and a few things here and there, I think I'll just allude to everything else. I really only used it to show how characters really felt about each other, I'm not trying to make this story gross or anything. **

-Fang's POV-

I could hear them, through the wall. It was sort of disgusting, now that I thought about it. They were at it, almost every night, but I guess I shouldn't complain because it was better than living out on the streets or in my car.

"You think Fang will hear us?" I heard Max ask.

"Mmm?" Iggy was probably already too far gone to even care. "No. C'mon, I _need_ you."

And they resumed.

Closing my eyes, I tried not to think about it. It was too much though, and my thoughts drift to what they're doing and I started to picture it was me instead of Iggy. I could feel myself getting hard. Max's moaning only pushed me farther and I couldn't ignore it. Slowly, I undid my pants and slipped my hand down, starting to pump, slowly, trying to keep some control over myself.

"Ooh, c'mon, I know you can do better than that," Max whispered.

The loose spring in their bed started to squeak, you wouldn't hear it if you were human though. Max let out a louder moan and their pace started to increase, faster and faster. I increased my own pace too.

"Ahh, please harder."

"I don't want to hurt you," Iggy muttered, sounding like he was going to give in anyway. After a few seconds, he did give in, and Max tried to suppress her screams, but she couldn't and I lost it after that, just as she let out one last moan.

"God, Max," I whispered to myself. "I wish he were me."

It took a while for me to come to my senses, but I did, and I went and cleaned up my mess.

* * *

The next morning, I entered the kitchen and thankfully found Max alone. I forced myself to take a seat so my back faced her as she made coffee.

"You hungry?" she asked me.

I looked around, no sign of Iggy. "Sure."

She pulled out some bread and frozen pancakes. "I can use the toaster, the microwave, and the oven without screwing anything up. You take your pick."

She smiled as she turned, holding up a few boxes. I let a small smile slip. "I'll have whatever you're having."

Standing, I move behind her, catching just a little bit of her scent, before I opened the fridge and pulled out juice and a soda for myself.

"Jeez, it's only eight in the morning and you're having a soda?" Max shook her head.

"It's no different than having coffee," I replied.

Max popped the frozen waffles into the toaster. "You going out today?"

It took a moment for me to answer. "Yeah, I have to go see Lissa."

"Remind me how you two got together?"

I opened my soda. "I never told you."

"Well, tell me," she pressed.

I took a seat on the counter, watching her move about, cleaning the dishes from last night. After a while, I got down and started to help her dry them.

"I was having dinner by myself one night over on the other side of town," I explained. "And these guys, outside, pushed her into an alleyway and you know, I wasn't just going to sit there and watch, so I went and rescued her."

"And then what?" Max prompted.

"Well, I got her some food and she gave me her number," I went on.

"Mr. No-Talk being all gentlemen like?" Max taunted.

Sighing, I put the plates into the cabinet. "She just likes to tell her friends I saved her life."

"You shouldn't string her along," Max frowned.

I said nothing as I heard Iggy come down the hall. Max, if you only knew how I really felt about you. The only benefit with Iggy being blind was that I could stare at Max all I wanted, thinking, and he'd never notice. Of course, I knew better than that, or did I?

* * *

"We should go see a movie tonight," Lissa cooed as we sat on her couch.

I stared at the TV, wishing I wasn't here. Max was right. I was totally leading her on.

"Or would you rather stay here?" Lissa said, putting her arms around me. "We could have, I don't know, some fun? If you'd like."

I moved my eyes from the TV to her slowly. "Ok, sure."

She giggled, making me uncomfortable as she started to rub the inside of my thigh. "Tonight."

And then she jumped up off the couch. "Chinese food?"

I hated Chinese food. Well, I didn't hate it, but I hated the place she ordered it from. I gave her a nod anyway and she was off to the other room, dialing.

The day grew longer as night approached. I wanted to make up an excuse about why I needed to go, although the only reason I could really think of leaving was to go see Max. After forcing down some food, we settled back on the couch, and by the end of the movie, she was on top of me.

"The bed is down the hall," she whispered in my ear, leaning towards me.

Without much thinking, I picked her up and carried her to bedroom. After letting her down on the bed, I pulled off my pants, getting into it next to her. Within the next few seconds, we were both without clothes.

"Fang," she breathed out, pulling my down on top of her. "Please…"

And I spun her around, unable to look at her because the whole time, I was thinking about Max. In fact, Lissa never crossed my mind until it was over, when I ended up saying Max's name instead of hers. You could only imagine how that went.

* * *

**Max's POV next chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 3**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Max's POV-

Fang wasn't in his room when I went to see why he wasn't awake yet and it was already noon. Iggy was starting to cook lunch already.

"He's probably still at Lissa's house," Iggy called after me. "They probably, I mean, you know."

I went back to the kitchen, feeling like there was something off about Fang not being here. "Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go the mail, okay?"

Iggy nodded and I went to the hallway. We lived on the first floor, not really wanting to have to use the elevator because it was claustrophobic.

"Excuse me, Ms. Ride?"

I swerved around to see the security guard standing behind a desk.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mosh," I said, wondering what he wanted.

He pointed outside to the parking lot. "I believe your friend is out there asleep. It's going to be a hot day today. I think you oughta go out there and wake him before he dies of heat stroke."

Squinting, I could see Fang's car. The only reason he claimed to have a car was so he could blend in without causing too much attention. And he did a good job and making himself seem like everyone else. There wasn't really any other way to describe his car except for the words a piece of shit.

I exited the building, walking to his car slowly. He was asleep, shirtless, in the driver seat. Looking down, I realized the only thing he was wearing was boxers. I slammed my fist against the window and he sat up, hitting his head on the ceiling.

"What the fuck?" He punched the steering wheel, making the car honk.

"Fang!" I shouted. "What the hell are you doing?"

He looked out the window and then down at himself. "Aw, shit."

The door opened, expelling the smell of fast food and sweat.

"I have pants in the trunk…"

I sighed and opened the trunk, tossing them to him and he pulled them on quickly, finding a shirt in the back seat.

"Care to explain?" I asked him.

He slammed his car door. "No."

"Well, you better, or I won't let you into my apartment."

He leaned against his car. "Well, let's just say things didn't go well with Lissa last night."

"And how does this add up to you being in your boxers?"

"Well, I left my clothes there and when I got here, well, I don't know, Max. I was tired."

"You're an idiot."

He frowned.

"Alright, c'mon, you need to shower." I led him inside.

Iggy whiffed the air as soon as Fang stepped in.

"Yeah, yeah I'm going to shower," Fang growled before Iggy could say anything.

"What the hell happened to him?" Iggy asked after Fang disappeared.

"I don't know. Bad night with Lissa. I can't figure out if it happened before or after they did anything."

Iggy sniggered. "He's an idiot, whatever he did."

"That's what I told him."

* * *

Over the next few days, Fang's mood just seemed to worsen. At meals, he stared down at his food, pushing it around his plate. Whatever happened between him and Lissa was probably his fault, but it was obvious he was upset about it. I wanted to talk to him, but every time I asked, he just shrugged and walked away.

And then one day, he was standing at the front door, his backpack in hand.

"Where are you going, Fang?"

He turned to face me, talking to me what must have been the first time in days. "I don't know, Max. Somewhere else. I've been here too long."

I shook my head. "No, I want you to stay."

His eyes met mine. "I haven't talked to you for the past five days. Why would you want to keep me around?"

"Because I'm worried about you."

He let out a sigh. "Alright."

I picked up his bag and carried it back to his room. When I came back, he was still standing by the door.

"What's wrong now?"

"Nothing," he muttered, trudging back to his room.

"Remind me why you bother to try to help him?" Iggy asked.

"I'm afraid he'll doing something stupid." I shook my head. "Because I care about him."

"Of course you do, but does he care that you care," Iggy twirled his finger in the air. "That is the question!"

I rolled my eyes and he took my hand.

"You know, I'm being serious, right?" Iggy said. "I mean, he has to learn how to take care of himself."

"I know," I frowned.

He led me into the kitchen, changing the subject. "We have to cook tonight, right?"

"_You_ have to cook and don't you do that every night?"

"I mean for everyone," he replied.

"Yup, entire flock is coming over."

He let go of my hand, opening the fridge. "Then we better get to work."

And for a couple of hours, my worries of Fang were forgotten.


	4. Chapter 4

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 4**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Fang's POV-

I was sitting on the couch, watching TV when Max stood in front of me. "Get your car keys."

"Why?"

"Because we need to clean that filthy car of yours."

When I showed no sign of going with her, she grabbed me by the arm and forced me up. I grabbed my keys and followed her out to my car. She proceeded to open all the doors, picking up old food wrappers off the floor. I opened my trunk and threw some stuff out. There were clothes there too and I found an empty box, stuffing them in.

"I'll do your laundry," Max said, putting the box on the ground.

An hour later, my car was clean and organized. All my CDs back in their cases, fit nicely into the glove compartment. The car no longer smelled like stale food. It annoyed me that Max had made me do this, but I was sorta glad she did too. I mean, hey, this was time I was getting to spend with her alone.

"You owe me," she said, picking up my box of clothes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I sighed, locking my car and following her back to her apartment.

The smell of food hit me when we entered. Iggy was in the kitchen, cooking as always. I sunk back into the couch, staring at the TV even though I didn't really care about the news, or politics, or about whatever laws they were passing that were controversial.

"Fang, your phone keeps ringing," Iggy informed me.

"Yeah, I know," I grumbled.

Max came back and took a seat next to me, holding my phone.

"You know, maybe you should pick up," Max said. "Maybe you can make amends."

"No."

"So then tell me what happened between you two."

I almost laughed. The idea of telling Max that she was the reason I got myself kicked out of Lissa's place shirtless seemed ludicrous.

"Fang," she said, sternly.

I glanced over at Iggy. "I'll tell you later, alright? I don't want to talk about it now."

"Okay," she agreed, the tension in her voice gone.

* * *

My phone sat on the bedside table. It started to buzz, going in a circle. Lissa was calling me for like the fiftieth time today and I was tired of hearing it ring. I pulled the battery out, throwing it against the wall. A short while later, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I responded.

Max opened the door. "What the hell are you doing, banging things around at this time of night?"

"I don't know, Max, I'm tired."

She closed the door and took a seat on the end of the bed. "Talk to me, Fang."

"About what, Max?"

"You're not happy," she frowned. "And I don't want to watch you suffer."

I turned away from her.

"Fang, c'mon, you know I'm here for you." When I didn't respond, she persisted. "I won't hold anything you tell me against you."

I closed my eyes, feeling her move across the bed to sit next to me.

"Fang…"

I was remembering back to the time when we were stuck in cages, up late, talking to each other once the scientists all left for the night, no longer poking and prodding at us. We had talked for hours about nothing. Even when we got out of the school, when we were running, I had always talked to her, up late, and she'd talk about whatever her plans were. When we got older, she started to talk about Iggy, confiding in me when they had fight, or if she just needed to talk about him. But it was only with Max that I could talk about my problems, only with Max did words flow from my mouth.

And here I was, shutting her out because the reason for my unhappiness was her.

"Well, when you're ready, I'm here to talk, alright," she sighed, touching my arm. "Whenever you need to."

Max stood, smoothing my hair now. "Get some sleep, Fang."

And then she was gone. I pulled the blankets over my head, shutting my eyes now, fighting tears.

* * *

_You're not happy. I don't want to watch you suffer…_

…_you know I'm here for you. I won't hold anything you tell me against you…_

Max's words echoed through my head over the next few days. They were starting to go to my head. I was starting to think that I could just tell her about how I really felt, that I'd just take her aside and tell her. In fact, I almost did it one night, when Iggy had fallen asleep and we were watching some old movie, but then I realized how stupid I was. I needed to get my head cleared.

"Max, I think I'm gonna leave after the weekend."

She blinked. "Are…are you sure?"

I nodded. "I've been here long enough. Besides, I'm sure Iggy hates having me around."

"And where are you going to go?"

"I don't know, I'll drive somewhere. But I'll be back for dinner on Friday with the flock," I assured her.

I could tell she didn't approve. "Alright, I'll get you some money."

"Thank you, Max."

She nodded.

* * *

**Lissa may be making another appearance and things are gonna start to heat up. I'll update sometime next week. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 5**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Max's POV-

"Why are you so worried about him?"

Iggy and I were in the kitchen, he stood behind me, chin resting on my shoulder.

"Because I told him to call me every day and he hasn't," I muttered.

He kissed me, wrapping his arms around me. "You know he never listens."

I sighed. Fang used to listen. I was afraid he was going to do something stupid.

"C'mon, I'll make you some fresh iced tea and you can relax when I cook. Watch a movie or something, bad TV reruns, whatever it is that I can't appreciate." I could feel Iggy grinning into my neck. Ever since we settled down, not having to run, he always poked fun at his inability to see. Rarely did he ever get angry or feel like he was below anyone because he couldn't see.

"That sounds good," I heard myself agree.

He kissed me again and got to work, producing a pitcher of iced tea, pouring me a glass. I went and sat in the front of the TV, the spot where Fang usually sat when he was sulking. As soon as I started to get lost in the show I was watching, there was a knock on the door.

I made my way to the door.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

The girl standing in front of me had to be my age. She shifted her weight, almost half a foot shorter than me, looking up.

"Hi…I'm…I'm Lissa and I'm looking for Fang," she said quietly.

"Oh?" I let out a breath. "Well, he was only staying here temporarily. He might be coming back though. I can tell him you came looking for him."

"Ok…thanks…" Lissa turned and then looked back at me. "What's your name?"

"Max," I answered.

She gave me a funny look and said, "Oh, you're Max?"

And then she spun on her heel, leaving me before I could ask how she knew me. I closed the door.

"Who was that?" Iggy asked.

"Lissa," I answered.

"Fang's girlfriend?" Iggy raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, I don't know." I took a sit, sipping my iced tea again.

Sometime later, the door opened and Fang came in, dropping his bag to the floor.

"You just missed Lissa," I told him.

He frowned.

But again, people at the door seemed to be interrupting me, Nudge and Gazzy bursting in, Angel following them looking annoyed.

"You and I need to talk later," I said under my breath.

Fang's dark eyes met mine. "Okay."

* * *

I sat on Fang's bed. He was avoiding me, but he couldn't stay out of here for long. It was almost midnight now. Iggy had been asleep some hours ago, but Fang was still up, watching TV. I heard it shut off and then Fang entered the room.

"What are you doing in here?" he growled.

"Sit and we'll talk," I said calmly.

He closed the door and sat down across from me on the bed.

"So how was your trip?"

"It was alright. I flew to California, went to the beach." His eyes met mine, almost intensely. "What did Lissa say to you?"

"She seemed to know who I was. Gave me this funny look after I told her and then proceeded to leave right away," I answered.

Fang let out a sigh.

"So what's up with you and her?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It's making you unhappy, I can tell. We used to talk all the time, Fang."

He turned his back to me. "I know, Max. And all my life, I thought that might amount to something, all those hours I spent talking to you. You're the only one I ever really talk to, and then I look at the flock, and Gazzy has Nudge, you have Iggy, and Angel's perfectly happy the way she is, but I'm not. I cannot stand to watch you all be happy, you will _never_ understand how I feel."

I moved to his side, forcing him to look at me now that I was sitting next to him. "Well I can try."

He let out a laugh, looking at the wall. "Max, the truth is going to hurt you."

"Don't pull that bullshit with me, Fang."

His eyes flickered back to me, full of rage. He grabbed me by the arms, his face inches from mine now. "Goddamnit, Max! After all these years, how could you not see it? I thought I'd be the one, but then you chose Iggy. I will never understand that."

"Fang, you're my best friend…"

"I'm in love with you, Max."

I stared into his eyes. Behind all that rage, there was sadness.

He lowered his voice. "And maybe I should have told you how I felt a long time ago, Max. But you're happy with Iggy, so I wasn't going to ruin things for you. Just because I'm miserable doesn't mean you all have to be miserable."

Before I could respond, he leaned forward and kissed me.

* * *

**So, I'll leave with that. Whether Max punches Fang in the face or kisses him back, well, I guess you'll find out in the next chapter! **


	6. Chapter 6

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 6**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Fang's POV-

I had expected Max to rip my head off or drive a hole through me, but she didn't. She put her arms around me, hand in my hair, and we fell back, me on top of her. I reached for the light, turning it off, and we rolled under the blankets.

When I woke up the next morning, Max was gone, but that I had expected. I got out of bed, pulled some clothes on, and headed to the kitchen. Max was there, making coffee. Hearing me come in, she pulled out another mug. I stood next to her, wondering if she was going to throw the mug at me for what we had done last night.

"You…you can't tell Iggy," she murmured, pouring the coffee into our mugs. "That…that never happened…I'm sorry, Fang…I…I shouldn't have done that."

I took my mug, avoiding her eyes. "It's probably best we don't talk about it…I…I don't know what got into me."

She glanced up at me and we sat at the table, waiting for Iggy to wake up. While I was lying through my teeth about forgetting, I knew Max was going to let it bother her and eat her up from the inside out. Did I feel guilty? Yeah, I did. Iggy was good to Max, he kept her happy, and I shouldn't have wanted anything more than for Max to be happy. Did I feel guilty for making Max feel guilt? Of course I did. But logic and rational thinking was gone. I still wanted Max more than ever now.

Iggy came shuffling into the kitchen after what seemed like eons later. He poured himself a mug of coffee and took a seat next to Max, kissing her on the cheek. I kept my eyes on the table, resisting the urge to look at Max.

"And good morning to you too, Fang," Iggy grinned.

"Morning," I managed to say.

"I'm quite tired of cooking, Max. I say we go out to lunch," Iggy said, turning his attention back to her.

"That sounds like a plan," she agreed.

He turned back to me. "You're invited too, Fang."

I shook my head. "That's alright, I have a few things to take care of. I'll see you later."

And with that, Iggy took Max by the hand and dragged her out of the kitchen. I returned to my room, grabbing my cell phone. It was time to apologize to Lissa. It was the least I could do.

"So what are you going to do?"

Max was standing in the doorway, now dressed in clothes to go out.

"I have to talk to Lissa, then maybe I'll go look for a place," I shrugged. The truth was, I wanted to stay here, but that wouldn't seem right, not after what happened.

With some hesitation, Max left. I heard the door open and close. Now I was alone.

After another moment of pacing the TV room, I found Lissa's number and pressed call. She picked up within seconds.

"Fang!" she exclaimed. I had half expected her to pick up in rage.

"We need to talk, Lissa. This obviously isn't going to work out," I said flatly.

She let out a sigh, the excitement gone now. "I had a feeling you might say something like that."

"I'm sorry for what I did," I told her, forcing each of the words out, past the tip of my tongue. "I don't want to hurt you again."

"I'm not afraid, Fang."

I closed my eyes. "Lissa, this is goodbye. I don't know how you found out where I'm staying, but don't come back around looking for me."

"Who is Max?"

"She's my best friend," I answered, slouching into the armchair. "And it's complicated."

"And you love her but she doesn't love you."

"Yeah…"

There was silence on her end for a while. "I'm glad you called to sort this out. I didn't want to be angry at you anyway. I was thinking maybe it had gone too fast anyway."

"Yeah," I agreed, hoping she would go now.

"But if you ever need anything, you have my number."

"Of course," I grumbled. "Bye, Lissa."

"Bye."

And there was a click. I scrolled through my contact list, barely a dozen numbers, and deleted Lissa's. With that, I got up and left the apartment with all my things.

It was time to find a place far away from here.

* * *

"How old are you, Kid?"

I stared at the man, almost uncomprehendingly. "Twenty-one. Twenty-two soon."

"Let me see your license."

I pulled out my wallet and he examined it for a few minutes. "What's a kid like you want an apartment here for?"

"I want quiet," I explained. This was the farthest place I could find from Max without actually leaving town. Still, she would be a good forty-five minutes away by car. Flying would be faster, but flying was always faster because there wasn't any traffic in the sky.

"Alright, Kid, but if I even suspect you're causing trouble, I'll kick you out and you'll have to pay for rent still," the man grumbled, handing me a key.

Without a response, I took the key and went up a flight of stairs. The place was small, a bedroom and a small kitchen and bathroom. That was all I needed. I'd probably spend most nights out anyway, trying to find a distraction.

The last thing to do was call Max.

"Hello?" She picked up right away.

"I found a place," I told her. "It's a bit far from you, but it was cheap and it's quiet over here."

"Oh?" She seemed a little surprised. "For real?"

"Yes, Max," I sighed, telling her the address.

"Alright, well, you still coming for Friday dinner with the flock?"

"Yeah, I'll be around," I assured her.

"Okay."

It sounded like she wanted to say more, but I fumbled a reason to go and then climbed into bed, hoping my dreams wouldn't be about Max for once.


	7. Chapter 7

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 7**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Max's POV-

I stood by the mirror, staring at myself. Fang was gone, just like that. I hadn't expected him to stay, but then again, maybe he was scared too, which wasn't Fang like at all. It troubled me, but I tried not to think about him too much.

Iggy came up behind me, sweeping the hair away from neck, kissing it softly. I closed my eyes. "Not tonight, Ig."

He let out a sigh, his arms wrapping around me. "What's been bothering you lately?"

"I don't know," I said, taking his hand and pulling him into bed.

"C'mon, Max," he said, pushing himself on top of me. "Talk to me."

I shut my eyes. "Ig, I'm tired."

He sighed, rolling off of me after a while. "Alright, Max, goodnight."

"Night, Ig."

And when I finally settled into trying to fall asleep, thoughts of Fang kept coming back to me, his words echoing in my head from the other night. He didn't even say goodbye to me. Why did that bother me so much?

* * *

A month has gone by. Fang hadn't been returning my calls again, hadn't been showing up for dinner. It was getting to the point where I was losing sleep over it. For a while, I had forgotten about Fang, forgotten about what had happened, but when he stopped showing up for dinner, I started to think that maybe he just wanted his space. When he stopped return calls, I tried to brush it off as nothing. But here I was, a month later. It was time to go across town.

Luckily for me, Gazzy and Nudge were dragging Iggy to plan Mom's birthday. I wasn't invited because I didn't know anything about cooking apparently. It was a little insulting at first, but I hadn't wanted Iggy to know how much I actually worried about Fang.

As soon as Ig left, I headed out the door, taking off into the sky. It didn't take long to get to the other side of the town and I found the apartment building.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

I looked behind me, seeing a guy with a beard hobbling towards me. "You visiting?"

"Yeah, Apartment B11," I told him.

He snorted. "Oh, him. He hasn't paid his rent. I'm about to kick him out."

I sighed. "Well, I'll see if I can talk some sense into him."

The guy shrugged. "Suit yourself."

I went up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Go away I don't got your money yet!"

"Fang, it's me!"

The door opened and Fang leaned against the doorway, looking like he hadn't slept in days.

"Max…" he trailed off, his eyes on the floor.

"Can I come in?"

He glanced behind him. "Alright."

I closed the door behind me and he went back to the bed, lying on it. I took a seat at the end of the bed, my back towards him.

"Jesus, Fang, at least let me know you're alive," I said, looking around. There were clothes strewn across the floor, but it seemed like everything else was in place. Fang smelled like he had just showered.

"I thought it would be better if I went away for a while." His voice was hoarse.

"I never told you to leave."

Fang let out a sigh. "Max, I let myself slip once. I'm not going to do it again, I'm not going to hurt you or Iggy. It's better this way."

I leaned back, finding myself laying next to him now. "I didn't come here to argue with you, Fang. If you don't want to come around, then that's fine, just, at least give me some warning, alright? Call me sometime. I miss talking."

"Do you really?" Fang seemed incredulous. When I didn't answer, he lowered his voice. "How's Iggy and the others?"

"Iggy knows something's been bothering me, he just thinks if he doesn't bother me about it that whatever's bothering me will go away eventually."

"So what's been bothering you?''

"Your absence, Fang." I closed my eyes. It dawned on me now that I was lying in his bed. We were only inches apart. And I suddenly felt compelled to move closer to him, to want him in a way that brought back the feelings of that night that seemed like a long time ago.

And as if I wasn't acting on my own accord, I rolled onto my side and rested my hand against the inside of his thigh.

His eyes shot up to me. "Max, what are you doing?"

"I…I don't know, Fang. I don't know what to think anymore." And yet I kept my hand there. "I've thought about what you said, and I've thought about Iggy, and then I thought about how much I've worried about you, and here I am, begging you to come back for me, and not for anyone else."

"Max…"

I slid my hand up his leg and he pulled his shirt down.

"Max, stop."

But even he was having a hard time resisting. He put a hand on my arm, trying to stop me, but as I undid his belt, his grip loosened. I watched Fang close his eyes, no longer fighting me, hands now moving to his pants.

I started to undress.

* * *

"Max, it's late. Iggy will worry about you."

Fang had his arm around me, my head rested against his bare chest.

"Fang, what if this is all wrong. What if it really is supposed to be you and me," I said to him.

"Max, you can't go breaking Iggy's heart like that." He looked troubled now, deep in thought.

"What if I love you instead of him?"

He let out a deep breath.

"I mean, does none of this mean anything to you?"

He shut his eyes tight. "Of course this means something to me, Max. But it's not right. I…I should have stopped you. I should have stopped myself the first time. This is exactly why I went away, Max."

I sat up and he took his arm back, gathering my clothes and giving them to me.

"Will you come to Mom's birthday dinner?" I asked him, pulling my pants on.

"I'll be there," he said reluctantly. "Do not come back here, Max."

"I'm going to pay your rent."

"Alright, thank you. Now go, Max. Before…before either of us do something stupid again."

I resisted the urge to go to him again and walked out the door. My head was spinning the entire way home.

* * *

**So Fang's absence has pushed Max to finally realize that she might really have feelings for him. Is it all sexual attraction? Desperation? Or does she really love Fang? And what will become of her relationship with Iggy?**

**Hmm…Thoughts anyone? **

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 8**

By MyNameIsCAL

-Fang's POV-

I cleaned some clothes and headed to Mom's house. Perhaps it wasn't Max that I was afraid of seeing, perhaps it was Angel.

Max greeted me at the door, giving me a small smile as she let me in. I caught her scent and tried not to let it arouse me.

"Hey, Fang, nice to see you're breathing," Iggy joked.

I was glad he couldn't see me.

"Fang, it's so good to see you!" Mom exclaimed, embracing me.

And then Angel entered the room and I froze. She stared at me and I stared right back at her. Angel cleared her throat and glanced at Max who exchanged looks with me.

"I'm not going to…say anything," she muttered, walking past us and into the kitchen.

"What was that?" Iggy came over, wrapping his arm around Max, giving her a squeeze.

"Nothing," Max said, almost in a distracting way.

"Of course not, no one wants to tell the blind guy anything." He laughed and leaned down, kissing Max on the lips. She returned the favor and I went into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table.

Iggy returned, him and Nudge and Gazzy putting the food on the table. Mom sat at the head of the table and Max took a seat next to me, despite what was currently going on between us. I didn't want to hurt Iggy, but I was closer than ever to winning Max over.

But dinner was uneventful, thankfully. If you didn't know better, it was like nothing was wrong between Max and Iggy. And maybe it sickened me a little that Max could act so well.

It was later that night when an opportunity arose for me to get away for a little bit. I perched on the roof, closing my eyes.

"Fang?"

Max landed softly next to me, taking a seat. That wasn't a surprise.

"Hey, Max." I held myself back from reaching out to her.

"I've been thinking," she admitted.

"Me too."

"We could forget about everything," Max began. "But I don't think I can."

"Then what's our other choice, Max? Just tell Iggy what we've done? He'll kill me," I frowned.

"No, Fang, we don't tell him anything, not yet anyway," she breathed out. "And this becomes our secret."

If I hadn't been thinking with my heart, I would have told her no, but the words slipped out of my mouth without any thought. "Alright, Max."

She gave me a smile and I felt myself smile back. Then she spread her wings, returning back to the others.

* * *

Some time had passed now, and I hadn't heard from Max, which was fine by me. She paid my rent, like she had promised, and the landlord no longer came knocking. I tidied up the place and sat around most of the nights, listening to music, staring at the ceiling and tracing the cracks. None of this was right. But then again, nothing had ever felt right, even when there was nothing else to go against us in the world except ourselves.

But I started to go to dinner again, I started to hang around the others in the flock. I drove Gazzy places when Nudge wasn't around, I helped Mom out with grocery shopping. It kept my mind off of Max until night came.

"Hey, Fang?" Gazzy prompted. "Back before Iggy and Max were like, together, we always thought it was going to be you and Max."

"Is that so?" I said gruffly.

"Yeah, I mean, you only talk to Max and she's the only one that can get you to talk for real," Gazzy tried to explain. "And Nudge always thought that was sweet. But Iggy and Max, well, I don't know, I know Nudge always had a thing for him. I mean, did you even see that coming, Max and him?"

"I don't know, Gazzy," I grunted.

Gazzy shook his head. "It upsets you, doesn't it? Angel says it does."

"Angel should keep what she hears in our heads to herself."

And the next thing he said surprised me. "Nudge only puts up with me because she can't have Iggy. She's never going to love me the way she's in love with him."

I raised an eyebrow.

"And I'd rather see her happy than settling for second best."

I parked the car in Mom's driveway and turned to Gazzy. "Well, maybe that's how I feel about Max."

He blinked a few times and I waited for him to go, wondering how our feelings for each other had gotten so mixed up.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when my phone rang. I picked it up, yawning.

"Hey, Fang." Well, it was finally that long awaited phone call from Max.

"Evening, Max," I said, suppressing another yawn.

"How's it going?" she asked, quietly.

"Alright," I told her. "And for you?"

"Guess it's been alright too," she said, almost anxiously.

"So what's up?"

"I was wondering, maybe later this week, we could get together and talk."

"Talk? Sure, whenever's fine for me."

"Okay, great," she said, sounding relieved. "I'll call you with a time and day later?"

"Sounds good."

"Alright, get some sleep, Fang."

"I'll try to."

And then she hung up without another word. Although I got the eerie feeling that maybe she had reevaluated what was going on. That I was going to lose my grasp on her once again.

If that was what was going to happen, then I guess I'd be okay eventually. It was the right thing for her to do, and for me to do, to put that all behind us, but still, before I could fall asleep, I thought of Max.

* * *

**That tear between right and wrong conflicting with love. Will Max rethink things, or does she want to see Fang for other reasons? Lots to wonder about. Thanks for reading! New chapter soon hopefully!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 9**

By MyNameIsCAL

**A short chapter, mostly because I wanted to end it at a certain point. A longer chapter will be next, but I thought I'd try to get something up anyway. **

-Max's POV-

Lunch? No, Fang would never sit through that. Dinner? Iggy would get suspicious. A movie? Nah, Fang didn't have the patience for that either. I mean, all I wanted to do was talk. So I asked him if I could go over to his apartment, and maybe after some hesitation, he agreed.

That was where I was headed now.

"What does Iggy think you're doing?" It was the first question that came out of Fang's mouth as I walked in.

"I'm allowed to go out by myself?" And then I rethought my answer. "Well, he thinks I'm going to the bank. And then I told him I was going to stop at the movie store."

"Then we don't have much time to…talk." Fang took a seat on the end of his bed.

I sat next to him, staring at the wall.

"I'll admit that I want you to choose me, Max. But I will not ruin our relationship, or the friendship I have with Iggy because you and I can't keep our pants on," Fang told me bluntly. "And I won't sacrifice your happiness for my needs."

His dark eyes met mine, and I stared into them for a while. "I was going to come here and say the same things, Fang, and it's hard not to ask what I'm going to do about Iggy if I choose you."

"If you're asking yourself that, Max, then maybe you should stay with him. This was just all a mistake, and we can forget about it."

"I'll never forget about _this_, Fang. Or you, or how I feel about you."

"Do you really feel that way?"

"Yes, I do, I really do, Fang."

He let out a breath. "I'm not going to make the decision for you."

"I know."

We sat in silence for a while.

"You need to think about this, Max." Fang took my hand though, locking his fingers into mine. "Think about it. I promise I won't go anywhere, but maybe it's best if we both have our space."

"We had our space, for almost a month I didn't speak to you!"

"It'll be different this time, Max." He let go now. "I'll be right here waiting when you're ready with what you want to do. I want you to decide, and I don't want to be tempted to sway you in my direction."

"Okay, Fang."

He nodded, and I stood. Fang held his hand up in a halfway as a farewell. I lifted my hand, waving back, and descended into the night, more confused than ever.

* * *

A week had gone by now. I tried to keep Fang off my mind and I tried to focus on Iggy. For a while, it worked. I went to the grocery store, cooked with Iggy, spent some time with Gazzy and Nudge, although purposely avoiding Angel. But when it came to crawling in bed at night, snuggling under the covers with Iggy, I thought about Fang, and how sometimes I wished it was him next to me.

_Get your head on straight,_ I told myself.

Iggy had his arms around me now, snoring softly as I stared at the blankets, tracing the dips and hills they made. The moonlight cast a shadow on the wall, the outlines of my body with Iggy's casting a shadow.

"I'm sorry, Ig," I whispered quietly. "I think I might break your heart."

And then I closed my eyes, hoping I would find some kind of sign for a decision that would be accompanied by some peace.

* * *

**Alright, I want your opinion. Fax or Miggy? And reasons why. I need to figure out where this story, and I'm looking for how you really feel about the pairings. Although I've never been the one to let reviews sway me in a certain direction, but I guess I'm really just interested. Anyway, do tell. And thank you, as always, for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I Love You, Maybe – Chapter 10**

By MyNameIsCAL

**Here's a long awaited update. Thanks for your patience.**

-Fang's POV-

I could still smell Max on my bed sheets. It made thinking about her hard to resist, to think that we had done it here on my bed. I wondered if I should feel guilty that I let it turn me on like that, but it was late, and I was beyond the point of trying to resist my urges.

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK_

Cursing, I got out of bed, pulling my shirt down to cover up my bulge. I opened the door, ready to shout at whoever it was, but when I opened my mouth, my voice barely came out as a whisper.

"Max…"

She pushed past me and closed the door. I was glad the lights were off.

"What…what are you doing here?" I managed to question.

Max sat on my bed. "I don't know, actually."

I sat down next to her, wishing I had self control, but here Max was sitting next to me, and I had just been thinking about her. Without another word, I pushed her back against the bed. She showed no sign of resisting.

We fumbled with our clothes, and then her hands made their way into my hair, and she was pleading for me to keep going. I started to kiss her neck, no longer caring about what we doing, I started to push myself deeper in. She bit her lip, moaning into my ear, only driving me to go on.

"I've been thinking about you all night," I murmured.

She dug her fingers into my hair, letting out a sharp breath. I closed my eyes and felt myself release. We lay there breathless for a while, her hand still in my hair.

"Fang…" She pulled the blankets over us. "Iggy asked me to marry him today."

"What?" I was finally coming to my senses now.

She leaned her head against my chest, tears streaming down her face. "I said yes, Fang, but…I'm not ready."

I held her close. "Max….I'm…"

"Don't apologize," she said, shaking. "I came here wanting this too, I came here confused…I…I don't what I'm doing anymore…I…"

We were pathetic, the two of us here, for all the wrong reasons. She spent the night here. She even kissed me goodbye in the morning, and as if I wasn't already more confused, I felt like I was drowning in water now, and the only person that could save me was myself.

* * *

I didn't hear from Max for the next few days, but Gazzy did call me up, asking if I could take him to the mall since Nudge was busy with school work.

"So how're things?" Gazzy asked me.

I shrugged. "They're the same as always."

He let out a sigh. "Yeah, me too."

We sat in silence for a little while, and then I figured I should try to talk to him instead of estranging myself from the entire flock.

"How's Angel?"

Gazzy raised an eyebrow. "She's alright. You heard about Iggy and Max?"

"Yeah, Max told me."

"But Max told me she hadn't talked to you for a while," Gazzy frowned.

"She called me last night."

"Ah." He shook his head. "Well, I haven't seen her for a couple of days either. Iggy was the one that told me."

There was more silence.

"Are…are you upset about it?" Gazzy finally asked.

I glanced at him and then turned my attention back to the road. "Gazzy, I'd be lying if I said it didn't."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Then he changed the subject quickly. "Angel thinks that she's the reason you're avoiding seeing the flock."

"Well, you know, I don't need Angel running through my thoughts all the time." I turned into the parking lot. "Has Max seen Angel lately?"

"You see, that's the funny thing. Max has been avoiding Angel too." Gazzy was connecting the dots, or rather he was connecting the dots with Angel, and this made me worry. But he continued to talk. "I think Angel's just being paranoid, Fang. I know you're bothered by Max and Iggy. And I think Max just wants her time alone with him."

"Yeah," I heard myself agree distantly.

* * *

Friday night was supposed to be dinner with the entire flock, but like most Friday nights, I skipped. I knew Max didn't expect me to be there anyway. Tonight I found myself a bar down the street. One I had frequented with Lissa, but hadn't been to since I had said goodbye to her. The bartender knew me well enough that my first drink was always on the house. I sat there, sipping slowly away at my beer, watching whatever sports game was on TV.

"Fang?"

I turned to see Lissa.

"Hi, Lissa." I hadn't expected to see her here. Most of the time I dragged her here.

"I didn't think you'd ever come back here," she admitted. "Uhm, well, it's good to see you."

"Yeah, how's it going?" I wasn't going to be an asshole.

"It's been alright. I'm meeting some of my friends here."

I nodded. "Alright, well, you have a good night."

She gave me a half nod and went to the corner. My back was to her, thankfully, and after another two drinks, I left. But I couldn't go back to the apartment. Not right now. There was too much going through my head. The fact that I had the potential to destroy things for the flock was crushing. I'd choose them over saving myself, but when it came to my desires, it was getting harder and harder to resist.

* * *

**I'm putting this at the end of the chapters I update over the next few days just as a statement now that I've finished reading the newest Max Ride book, **_**Angel**_**.**

**My honest opinion is that it was good. It lived up to my realistic expectations, although I find myself a little frustrated because it's not exactly what I wanted. But there's still one more book, you must remember when you're reading it. The ending needs to be good, or we'll be left with a feeling that all this was wasted.**

**Just a suggestion, don't go into reading **_**Angel**_** with a hatred for any of the characters. Take a deep breath and let them speak for themselves, and you'll realize that things may be complicated, but Patterson is definitely setting up an ending that could be good (as I'm hoping), or it could be a disaster, but let's not ponder that because no matter what happens, I'll still be sitting here writing fanfics until people stop reading and reviewing them.**

**My inbox is opened for opinions once you've read **_**Angel**_**. I'd like to know how you felt about it.**

**And thanks for reading, as always. I'll be sure to update soon**

**}MyNameIsCAL{**


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